Who Shot Takeoff? Murder Trial Pushed to 2027 as New Evidence Examined

On November 1, 2022, Migos member Takeoff was fatally shot outside of 810 Billiards & Bowling in Houston after an argument over the result of a dice game.

Takeoff, born Kirsnick Khari Ball, joined family members Quavo and Offset in forming Migos—a nod to the Three Amigos—in 2009 in Lawrenceville, Ga. They went on to become one of the most influential acts to come out of the Atlanta hip-hop scene, which has produced the likes of OutKast, Goodie Mob and TLC, thanks to their 2016 breakout hit “Bad and Boujee.”

They helped popularize rapid triplet rhythm patterns that would eventually spread beyond Atlanta's trap scene to global audiences.

Migos recorded four Billboard Top 10 hits and received two Grammy nominations in 2018 for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Album for their album Culture.

After Takeoff’s murder, Houston police suspected Patrick Xavier Clark after looking over surveillance footage, cellphone video and audio, and ballistics evidence, as well as checking fingerprints on a wine bottle that was found at the scene. In May 2023, a grand jury indicted Clark on murder charges in 28-year-old’s Takeoff killing. Clark has pleaded not guilty and was released on $1 million bond, reduced from $2 million. He is under strict house arrest conditions.

Jury selection in Clark’s murder trial was set to begin on November 5, 2026, but on November 3, the trial got pushed to April 15, 2027, to give Clark's legal team more time to review new evidence.

"Both sides had numerous trial conflicts and the state recently turned over a large amount of evidence that had not been seen by Mr. Clark's previous counsel," Clark's attorney, Kent Schaffer, told XXL. "While there is nothing harmful in that evidence, we still need time to review it. We still fully expect to prevail."

On the night of the murder, Takeoff’s uncle, Quavo, a member of Migos, attended a private party at 810 Billiards & Bowling. After the party ended, guests left the building and gathered by the front entrance, according to investigators. At one certain point, police reported that a heated argument broke out over alleged money loss in the lucrative dice game.

Surveillance footage and eyewitness testimony confirmed that Takeoff didn’t take part in the dice game. He was also not part in the fight in the parking lot and was unarmed, according to investigators.

At around 2:30 a.m., gunfire broke out in the crowd. Clark fired shots at a group in the crowd, striking Takeoff in the head and torso, which left him dead at the scene. Two other people were also injured.

According to a police warrant, Clark fled the scene on foot and reached the House of Blues with the wine bottle on which his prints were uncovered. He then dropped the bottle and returned to the bowling alley before leaving in his truck.

Before his arrest, Clark worked as a Houston-based DJ under the name "DJ Pat” and served as a promoter for the strip club The Flame HTX. He was also a student at Houston Community College and lived with his parents in the Houston suburb of Channelview at the time of his arrest.

Police records disclosed that he was involved in a 2018 nightclub shooting, but the grand injury declined to indict him due to lack of evidence.

At his upcoming trial, the prosecution will heavily use the surveillance that allegedly shows Clark firing shots and the fingerprints being found on the wine bottle. Meanwhile, the defense has said it will argue that someone else had fired the shots and that Clark may have acted in self-defense.

The collection of forensic evidence played a significant role in the case. Court documents later reported that the Houston Forensic Science Center had to fire forensic analyst Rochelle Austen because of chain-of-custody and quality issues.

The document said a staff member noticed a chain-of-custody mix-up in a test sample in Austen’s care, though it did not specify whether the samples pertained to Takeoff’s murder case. It also stated that Austen had processed the wrong sample after failing to complete a verification. Furthermore, male DNA that was collected had been switched.

As a result, Austen, who was hired in June 2019, was terminated in March 2024.

Plus, the HFSC had to issue a Brady Notice, which requires prosecutors to share exonerating information with the defense.

In the years since Takeoff’s death, the remaining members of Migos, Quavo and Offset, pursued solo projects as the group disbanded, though they collaborated for a song on Quavo’s 2026 album QRÖMELIFE. In September 2026, Quavo confirmed plans to put together one final Migos album, and possibly embark on a tour.

Meanwhile, the remaining group members have been brought into an ongoing dispute over Takeoff’s estate. Given that he died without a spouse or children, his parents Titania Davenport and Kenneth Ball are the default heirs of his estate under Texas law. However, a conflict arose when only his mother received a confidential wrongful death settlement in 2025 after seeking more than $1 million in 2023 from the business that hosted the event where Takeoff was killed.

Takeoff’s father is now seeking 50% of the settlement funds. Davenport is arguing through her legal team that Ball wasn’t present in Takeoff’s life and she raised him as a single mother. Additionally, she wants the settlement to be sorted out in Georgia, where Takeoff and both parents lived, while Ball believes the matter should be settled in Houston where the shooting took place.

In court filings, Davenport listed Quavo and Offset as possible witnesses who could testify about Takeoff’s family matters.

This case is expected to go to trial in May 2027.